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| This was my rough draft, the real one is on ESPN's site. |
I will proudly be sporting live scores on my desk top for the next two weeks. Let the madness begin!!!
Who did you pick?
3/15/12
A little March Madness My Darlings
I hope each of you has filled out a bracket by now, if not I guess your one less in my way for the 5 million I plan to win from ESPN. Obv I picked THE Ohio State and Duke to go at it in the end but I'm not entirely positive about the rest of my picks besides Mizzu making it into the Final Four.
I am in the pull at work, I told them all that I would be the money holder because I am going to win it all anyways... They didn't go for it.
I will proudly be sporting live scores on my desk top for the next two weeks. Let the madness begin!!!
Who did you pick?
I will proudly be sporting live scores on my desk top for the next two weeks. Let the madness begin!!!
Who did you pick?
3/14/12
Water Rights, Cattle Fights and Drought Sites! Oh My!
I am really looking forward to this weeks weather forecast not only because of the predicted warmth but because we also have a slim chance of rain!!
Moisture is needed terribly in our region (SW Kansas / Panhandle) because of the horrible drought we have been suffering through. Last year we only received a quarter of an inch of rain for an entire 12 month period at one of our feedyards just north of Liberal. It's dry. We have been in a state of emergency for near a year after the wild fire last spring.
Farmers are truly starting to fear this upcoming season for several reasons. First, many of them used so much of their water right's in the 2011 season that they actually started taking from their 2012 rights, already putting them behind on top of not getting any moisture this past winter.
If you are not familiar with this terminology the legal definition of a water right is, a right to use in accordance with it's priority, a certain amount of water in a specified time slot. Example: In SW Kansas the farmer that owns the water right is only allotted so many acres of water per year and if he goes over this allotment he will pay a fine and be deducted from the following year's allotment. However, last year when we were declared in a state of emergency, and it was instituted that no one will pay a fine it will just come out of the 2012 allotment because in order to get the crop to harvest or even the insurance cut offs, they had no choice.
The drought also effected the cattle production and market as well. Obviously when we have no moisture we have no grass therefore we have nothing to feed the cattle. I have never seen so much hay moving south in my life! It seem's almost every semi I pass is loaded down with hay out of the north heading to the panhandle and throughout western Oklahoma and Texas. There are many ranching operations out of the region that have gone to the extreme of moving their herds north in search of fruitful pastures. Those who could not find any, moved to late or flat couldn't afford it ended up culling (: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal of especially weaker animals) much more of their animals than they normally would in order to sustain the quality of the herd on what they could afford to feed them.
The situation doesn't look any brighter coming into this next warm season. Experts are already forecasting a hotter and drier summer than what we had last year, increasing concern for farmers and ranchers. Irrigation systems are already making their rounds of the field and cattleman are still trying to plan the future of their herd.
The purpose of this post is to bring awareness to anyone who does not understand, comprehend or doesn't know about the situation we are in, in the South West. We are the heart of the cattle industry and if something doesn't change quickly, we will have even more severe consequences in the future than what you think we are facing now.
So my request to the readers is: go pull out your tom-tom and start doing the rain dance!!
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| The most recent drought map |
Farmers are truly starting to fear this upcoming season for several reasons. First, many of them used so much of their water right's in the 2011 season that they actually started taking from their 2012 rights, already putting them behind on top of not getting any moisture this past winter.
If you are not familiar with this terminology the legal definition of a water right is, a right to use in accordance with it's priority, a certain amount of water in a specified time slot. Example: In SW Kansas the farmer that owns the water right is only allotted so many acres of water per year and if he goes over this allotment he will pay a fine and be deducted from the following year's allotment. However, last year when we were declared in a state of emergency, and it was instituted that no one will pay a fine it will just come out of the 2012 allotment because in order to get the crop to harvest or even the insurance cut offs, they had no choice.
The drought also effected the cattle production and market as well. Obviously when we have no moisture we have no grass therefore we have nothing to feed the cattle. I have never seen so much hay moving south in my life! It seem's almost every semi I pass is loaded down with hay out of the north heading to the panhandle and throughout western Oklahoma and Texas. There are many ranching operations out of the region that have gone to the extreme of moving their herds north in search of fruitful pastures. Those who could not find any, moved to late or flat couldn't afford it ended up culling (: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal of especially weaker animals) much more of their animals than they normally would in order to sustain the quality of the herd on what they could afford to feed them.
The situation doesn't look any brighter coming into this next warm season. Experts are already forecasting a hotter and drier summer than what we had last year, increasing concern for farmers and ranchers. Irrigation systems are already making their rounds of the field and cattleman are still trying to plan the future of their herd.
The purpose of this post is to bring awareness to anyone who does not understand, comprehend or doesn't know about the situation we are in, in the South West. We are the heart of the cattle industry and if something doesn't change quickly, we will have even more severe consequences in the future than what you think we are facing now.
So my request to the readers is: go pull out your tom-tom and start doing the rain dance!!
3/12/12
Armpits and Horny Toads
Well I had an action packed weekend all the way from Friday through Sunday! Do you know why?? I got to spend it with these guys
After work on Friday I met Cattleman at the truck stop and we took off like the modern day Bonnie and Clyde! We were Oklahoma bound to see his nephew before he ships out for oversea's deployment, plus he has a 5 month old small human so obv a play date was in order. It's a two hour drive between here and their little corner of Okie so we had plenty of time to entertain ourselves whilst driving through towns such as Hooker and Tyrone a.k.a. the armpit of America according to the Cattleman, (please pardon his French if you Okies find that offensive, he happens to be a Panhandlonian as well...) he makes me giggle.
Then we proceeded to play with this little fella which is never a dull moment. He farts a lot. *giggle*
On our way home we of course had a dance party, where Cattleman definitely broke out in song to Spice Girls, LFO, OPP annnnnd Sugar Land. I love this man. :)
Off to Saturday, WE WENT ANTIQUING and it was fabulous! I found all sorts of neat things but only left with the least expensive / most sensible / useful treasures.
Best of all, I got all my laundry done AND the house cleaned on Sunday which in my world is the most exciting part of the weekend. Yay for clean clothes in my closet!!
What did you do this weekend??
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| Doc and his Human |
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| Never mind the terrible quality of the photo... |
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| C'mon girls say it together now d'awwwww, yep I got a keeper |
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| He also decided he wanted to see what it was like to be a dog. While driving. I was thrilled of course. |
Off to Saturday, WE WENT ANTIQUING and it was fabulous! I found all sorts of neat things but only left with the least expensive / most sensible / useful treasures.
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| An old blue scale, 2 cook books, a quality rolling pin and a pyrex mixing bowl |
What did you do this weekend??
3/9/12
High Five For Friday!!
Hey y'all!
That was pretty forced. I'm not southern. I'll stop now.
Well it's fabulously Friday and I'm going to share with you my five favorite things I learned/liked from this past week. Seeing as how it's National AG Week they are all going to be AG related. Eeps! An entire WEEK and POST all about loving agriculture it's an agnerd paradise!
1. The Peanut Farmer. Check it out here. Hallelujah for Reese's and PB&J!!
3. Truth: Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family. Found here.
That was pretty forced. I'm not southern. I'll stop now.
Well it's fabulously Friday and I'm going to share with you my five favorite things I learned/liked from this past week. Seeing as how it's National AG Week they are all going to be AG related. Eeps! An entire WEEK and POST all about loving agriculture it's an agnerd paradise!
1. The Peanut Farmer. Check it out here. Hallelujah for Reese's and PB&J!!
For your enjoyment:
2. This Diagram say's it all, there's no such thing as a vegan!! Cattle make our world go 'round and support nearly every aspect of your life. Eat beef = support your community.
4. It takes a combine 9 seconds to harvest enough wheat to make 70 loaves of bread!
5. I am Ag Proud because without agriculture where would I be? Not only does it affect my life in the way of food and other products but it affects me in my monthly income as well. I aspire to inform and educate the consumer and my community, hopefully through my light and silly personality, as to how relavent it is in their lives as well.
Thank you to my parents for investing such strong values and appreciation in my life for the men and women who make my meals possible but also for giving me the education to pursue my dreams!
Why are you AG Proud this week?
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